Rural Listening Tour Announcement

Today I announced that I am undertaking a series of listening tours that will concentrate on the key issues and challenges that face rural 5th district residents. The first listening tour will focus on rural health care and will begin on February 13 in Salida and conclude on February 15 in Canon City.

Tour details:

Wednesday, February 13:
9:30am Heart of the Rockies Medical Center, Salida
Briefing/Tour Led by Ken Leisher, CEO

5:30pm St. Vincent General Hospital District, Leadville
Meeting with Board and Hospital CEO, David Zaitz
Tour

Friday, February 15:
2:30pm St Thomas More Hospital
Briefing/Tour Led by Vice President Mark Hartman

Should the citizens of the 5th Congressional District elect me to Congress, I am committed to representing the entire District. These listening tours will be a valuable resource to me in that effort. I look forward to sitting down with doctors, nurses, patients and other health care professionals to explore ways that we might to work together to meet the challenges rural communities face.

Subsequent tours will focus on a number of issues including, but not limited to, education, public lands, and the economy.

Our Strategy

Over the past several weeks, Debbi and I have been fortunate enough to visit with many of you to discuss the issues and challenges that currently face our district, our state, and our nation. The response that we have received to our candidacy and campaign has been truly electric. I have found that people are hungry for new, positive, and strong leadership in Washington . Throughout my career, I have been proud to serve our country and am looking forward to working with each of you to bring about a positive vision for America ’s future.



During my travels across the Fifth District many Republicans have voiced concerns over the tone and tenor of the last primary campaign for this office. Many felt discouraged and disillusioned by the lack of vision and negative tactics used by two of the campaigns. This negative residue continues to divide us! Unfortunately, both of those campaigns chose the caucus system in which to gain access to the ballot. With that in mind, my campaign has been seeking your advice the last couple of months for suggestions on how to strategically advance our message, recognizing that people are desperate for something to believe in. Overwhelmingly, the feedback we received is that we need to build our party and our message, that we must stop allowing others to define who we are and what we stand for, and that we must expand the reach of that message.



Determined to establish a fair and inclusive process, the framers of our system of government provided for two methods by which a candidate can get on the ballot. The first method is through the party caucus system, and the other is through petition. Both honor the spirit of democracy, ensuring that citizens like you are engaged in the process at a fundamental level.



As you know from my background, I am not a professional politician. While I have great respect for the caucus process, I feel I need to run a different campaign. With my opponents likely to return to the negative tactics they succumbed to in the previous race, I worry that if everyone’s energy is focused on a small percentage of Republican voters that the campaign will likely become mired in a counter-productive race that will further damage our party.



Therefore, based upon your advice I plan to petition onto the ballot for the August primary. I plan to run a strong grassroots effort and, therefore, I ask for your support and active involvement in our campaign. I cannot express how greatly I appreciate your involvement in our party and the democratic process. I look forward to working with you in the coming years. I pledge to run a campaign that you can be proud of as a Republican. I also commit to running a strong effort not only through the August primary, but all the way through the November general election. We must have a strong turn out in the Fifth Congressional District in order for the eventual Republican Presidential candidate and Bob Schaffer to be successful. To that end I will work very hard not only to get out the Republican base, but to attract as many unaffiliated voters to the polls as possible in November.



This effort is really about building our country, our state, and our party. With your help I am convinced we will be successful! In order to facilitate involvement in my campaign, I have enclosed a volunteer card. Please return it to Debbi and me so that we may all begin working together as quickly as possible on this important mission.